diff --git a/pkg/tcpip/transport/tcp/snd.go b/pkg/tcpip/transport/tcp/snd.go
index d762c410e..9c7306911 100644
--- a/pkg/tcpip/transport/tcp/snd.go
+++ b/pkg/tcpip/transport/tcp/snd.go
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ const (
 	// MaxRTO is the maximum allowed value for the retransmit timeout.
 	MaxRTO = 120 * time.Second
 
+	// MinSRTT is the minimum allowed value for smoothed RTT.
+	MinSRTT = 1 * time.Millisecond
+
 	// InitialCwnd is the initial congestion window.
 	InitialCwnd = 10
 
@@ -384,6 +387,10 @@ func (s *sender) updateRTO(rtt time.Duration) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	if s.rtt.TCPRTTState.SRTT < MinSRTT {
+		s.rtt.TCPRTTState.SRTT = MinSRTT
+	}
+
 	s.RTO = s.rtt.TCPRTTState.SRTT + 4*s.rtt.TCPRTTState.RTTVar
 	s.rtt.Unlock()
 	if s.RTO < s.minRTO {